He only came to the wedding because his sister's car broke down. Now he's stuck at a table with strangers, and before he knows it, he's telling a story he's never told anyone. Years ago, Stefan fled his country's corruption to work on a cruise ship, chasing a new beginning. But one embarkation day, he accidentally killed an albatross, a bird sailors believe brings good luck, and from that moment, the voyage began to spiral. Each port brought something different: heartbreak, betrayal, strange encounters, even a death at sea. What started as escape became something far darker, and far more human. Cruising is a modern-day Rime of the Ancient Mariner: darkly funny, deeply personal, and achingly real. A story about love, guilt, reinvention, and what happens when you're adrift—at sea and in life.